'This Week' Transcript: Biden

July 11, 2010

Page 8 of 16

Are you willing to pledge that the U.S. will make sure that they're
-- that war does not break out between Sudan and Southern Sudan should
that happen?

BIDEN: We're doing everything in our power to make sure this election on
the referendum is viewed by the world as legitimate and fair. That's
why we've been pushing the UN. That's why we've been pushing Kiir.
That's why I've been working with Mbeki. That's why I've been working
with President Mubarak, all who have significant influence in this.

And it must be viewed as credible to keep that country, that region,
from deteriorating. The last thing we need is another failed state in
the region. And I'm still hopeful. We are on it full-time. And -- I
believe that we'll be able to pull -- they'll be able to pull off, with
our help and the UN's help, they'll be able to pull off a credible election.

TAPPER: What's the larger strategy for combating Islamo-terrorism or Islamic
fascism, as some people call it?

Even if Iraq works, even if Afghanistan works, it pops up
everywhere. It pops up in Yemen. It pops up in Somalia. It pops up in
Uganda.

What's the larger vision?

How does the U.S. combat that?

BIDEN: The larger vision is to appeal to the moderate Islamic
states and the moderate Muslim world, which is the vast majority of the
world. That's the first piece.

The second piece is, in those areas which the radicals can feed on
and breed off of is to try to help stabilize those governments, not
alone, but with the rest of the world. And part of that is building
strong countries around them, as well as inside.

And it's a long-term deal. But I think we're making progress. And
President Obama ju-- -- you know, I got asked the other day, you know,
well, you ran for president, you know, you're vice president. I said we got
the order right. Even if I had been a great president and been elected,
it would have taken me four years to do what he did in one month. In
one month, he changed the attitude of the world about American
intentions.

And the Muslim world and the moderate Muslim world no longer thinks
it's us or them. The most important one that we're finishing up now, God willing, is Iraq.
Imagine Iraq as a stable country in the midst of that part of the world, a very positive outcome.

TAPPER: Mr. Vice President, thanks for spending your time with us.

BIDEN: Thank you, Jake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The Palin family bombshell.

(UNKNOWN): Bristol and Levi Johnston are not only back together,
they're getting married.

B. PALIN: I came home from work one day, and there was rose petals
in the shape of a heart on my bed, and then he got down on one knee and
asked me to marry him.

(UNKNOWN): Her engagement to Johnston happened without the approval
of their parents.

(UNKNOWN): We have a statement out this morning from the Palins,
and they say, "Bristol, at 19, is now a young adult. We obviously want
what is best for our children."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Bristol and Levi, one of the many topics we will not be
discussing on our roundtable this morning with George Will, former Bush
White House communications director Nicolle Wallace, also author of the
pending novel "Eighteen Acres," which my wife has not been able to put
down -- thank you for joining us -- Clarence Page of the "Chicago
Tribune," and former Clinton White House press secretary and "Vanity
Fair" contributing editor Dee Dee Myers.